Site Navigation

Selected Works by Edward Sapir

This monograph formalizes the method of historical inference implicit in
Boas's reconstruction of the history of cultures and languages, developed at a
time when there was scant archeological evidence from American prehistory.

"Drawing on linguistic examples from a remarkable range of cases,
Sapir ... distinguished methodologically between the properties of language
and culture for historical reconstructions. Sound change in language, unlike
the other parts of culture, he argued, retained traces of the past historical
relationships of language. In consequence, genetic relationships could be
discerned and distinguished from other kinds of relationships by the
application of methods used in Indo-European historical linguistics, even in
the absence of written records. Sapir's treatise remained the ethnologist's
guide to historical method for a generation and still repays careful attention
to the forms of his logic"

"This was Sapir the linguist writing at his most lyrical and
persuasive. The book was directed at an educated general audience, but
its broad canvas and penetrating vision of linguistic form, as well as its
treatment of specific topics, have greatly influenced professional linguists
ever since. The discussion of "drift," for example, remains
fundamental to linguistic theory about processes of language change."

Selections from the Encyclopaedia of the Social
Sciences

Notes

This page and related Mead Project pages constitute the personal web-site
of Dr. Lloyd Gordon Ward (retired), who is responsible for its content.
Although the Mead Project continues to be presented through the
generosity of Brock University, the contents of this page do not reflect
the opinion of Brock University. Brock University is not responsible for
its content.

Fair Use Statement:

Scholars are permitted to reproduce this material for personal use.
Instructors are permitted to reproduce this material for educational use by
their students.

Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, for the purpose of profit or personal benefit, without written permission from the Mead Project. Permission is granted for inclusion of the electronic text of these pages, and their related images in any index that provides free access to its listed documents.